Farewell to Solar Panels: Innovative System Brings Light into Homes Without Wasting Energy

The Future of Renewable Energy: Innovations and Technologies

In recent years, technological development has been focusing on the renewable energy sector, and it seems that more and more discoveries are on the horizon in the near future.

Solar panels are currently the most productive source of renewable energy, but they may undergo significant changes in the future.
New technologies could allow them to store electricity without the need for traditional batteries.
Some even believe that efficient turbines might replace traditional photovoltaic systems.

The Innovation by Solight: Reducing Electricity Consumption

One groundbreaking innovation comes from the Israeli startup Solight, which has conceived a solution to reduce electricity consumption at home, potentially making solar investments less appealing.
Their focus is on reducing artificial lighting usage, as even during daylight hours, insufficient natural light may enter buildings, leading to a reliance on artificial lighting that not only consumes high amounts of energy but also lacks the health benefits of natural light exposure.

Solight designs systems installed on roofs and building facades that capture dispersed natural light and channel it inside using simple mirrors.
This technology not only saves energy but also reduces carbon emissions, providing health benefits associated with natural light exposure.
This solution is particularly useful in large buildings such as factories, schools, hotels, and hospitals, where these devices create healthier living spaces.

Solight’s Product Line

Solight currently offers three different devices:

• Solight Industrial Collector: with a 1 square meter opening, it provides an average flow of 30,000 lumens, suitable for large areas and capable of illuminating up to 20 meters away.
• Solight Versatile Collector: with a 1/4 square meter opening, it provides an average flow of 7,000 lumens, suitable for spaces between 12 and 15 square meters, capable of illuminating up to 5 meters away.
• Solis Mini DIY: with a 1/16 square meter opening, providing an average flow of 2,000 lumens, suitable for small spaces of 4-5 square meters (e.g., basements).

All these devices capture sunlight from 8:00 to 16:00 and redirect it indoors.
The light is filtered to eliminate harmful ultraviolet radiation and excess heat, providing a “cool” light that also saves on summer cooling costs.

Challenges and Benefits

One challenge faced by Solight is finding a balance in filtering light, as it currently removes vitamin D-producing UVB radiation along with harmful components.
The company is working on solutions to allow a safe level of UVB exposure to maintain health benefits.

Reducing or eliminating artificial light usage in workplaces and homes can have various benefits, including preserving our circadian rhythms and avoiding health issues such as fatigue, insomnia, depression, obesity, and learning difficulties.
Additionally, the potential cost savings are significant.
Using 1,000 Solight products in as many rooms could save the equivalent of 348,000 LED lamps over 5 years, offering a return on investment within 2 to 3 years considering current electricity costs.